Cheng Susu, having incidentally heard about the plan to establish a brick factory, readily contributed her private savings, which, combined with the fifty iron coins Wahani had given her that day, amounted to about a hundred in total.

I was somewhat surprised that she had amassed such a personal fund after only a few days as Magistrate An’s adopted daughter, suggesting the magistrate’s income must be considerable. Reflecting then on the generosity of Prefect Wu, it became clear that these officials enjoyed exceptionally high earnings.

Cheng Susu's mission was to forge connections with Yun Yao and Zhou Ni. Upon seeing Cheng Susu, Yun Yao was so overjoyed she almost burst into tears. After all, they had been like sisters, and their reunion following shared trials of life and death held an emotion outsiders could hardly fathom. Yet, Cheng Susu seemed to have little recollection of Yun Yao, reacting rather coolly, which angered Yun Yao so much she secretly pinched my arm.

Linglong helped me tidy up. I picked up the Great Strength Pills and prepared to go to the county office to open the escape pod for Magistrate An one last time, allowing him a final glimpse inside. Once this artifact was delivered to the Imperial Palace, he would never see it again. Considering it a divine object sent from heaven, he ought to sleep within it for at least two nights to absorb some celestial energy; otherwise, all the effort to bring it home would be wasted.

Magistrate An wasn’t foolish, of course. By presenting such a divine object to the Emperor, even if there was no immediate reward spoken of, he was surely setting himself up for promotion and wealth when the opportunity arose.

Great Strength Pill still clung to his large wooden staff, though it was stained with the blood of the bandits. He was reluctant to exchange it for something new since he was so used to it. The two of us ambled toward the county office gate. Having drunk heavily the night before and slept none, I felt a little unsteady when suddenly a small child leaped out from a corner, darting around in front of me and blurring my vision.

“I say, Zhao Qian, why are you only just arriving? Did you oversleep after spending time with my three fairy sisters, or did you meet another fairy sister and lose the will to walk?”

I lightly tapped the head of that little Ma Xiaoda: “What do you know, you’re just a child? Do I dare sleep with those three fairy sisters? The youngest ancestor would surely shoot me dead with an arrow if I did.”

Ma Xiaoda had seen the slender Linglong draw her bow and pierce a large rabbit around noon yesterday. He said fearfully, “Yes, and I think that second sister isn't easy to provoke either. I’m scared of her arrow. Let’s stop talking about this and hurry to see the divine egg. If you don't come soon, I’ll have to force my way in.”

Jinglue trailed silently behind Ma Xiaoda, not bothering us. It seemed the other servants hadn't arrived yet. I beckoned Ma Xiaoda over, “Let’s go in together. If anyone asks, say you’re my assistant.”

The yamen runners guarding the gate knew me quite well. Furthermore, Magistrate An had given orders early on to bring me in immediately upon arrival. When we reached the compound, good heavens, a thatched hut had been built over the escape pod. It turned out that due to recent rains, Magistrate An feared the divine egg would be damaged by the wet weather and built this shelter. If rain could damage it, how could the thing possibly achieve interstellar flight?

“Nephew Zhao, you’ve arrived! Hurry and open the escape pod so I can admire it again. It automatically sealed shortly after you left last time, almost trapping someone inside,” said Magistrate An.

I entered the access code and verified my fingerprint and retina, and the escape pod door opened once more. Ma Xiaoda, who had been eying the divine egg and touching it repeatedly, shot inside first, moving with the speed of a leopard, startling Magistrate An into a stumble.

I quickly explained, “Forgive me, Magistrate An, this is an assistant I just accepted. He is young and inexperienced, and moreover, quite curious.”

Magistrate An waved his hand dismissively, “It’s nothing, nothing. Our superiors are curious, let alone a child.”

After Magistrate An went in, thoroughly inspected the pod, and came out, I stepped forward, “Magistrate An, since I have been honored by the Emperor’s favor and appointed as the Capsule Commander, I have a responsibility to maintain the escape pod’s system integrity. According to the ancient book my master possesses, this escape pod seems to have sustained damage in several areas. I intend to repair it as much as possible over the next few days so I can present a fully functional escape pod to the Emperor.”

Magistrate An replied, “I don’t understand these matters. Since you are the Capsule Commander, do as you see fit. If you need any assistance, just ask. However, we cannot delay preparations too long, or the Emperor might become impatient and hold us accountable. Let’s set a limit of seven days; we will depart punctually then.”

Seven days might not be enough time to fully repair the escape pod, but it would be beneficial for inspecting the sources of malfunction and laying the groundwork for future repairs. Thus, I nodded in agreement.

Magistrate An had official duties to attend to, so after chatting with me for a while, he rushed off to handle county affairs. Only two yamen runners assigned to guard the escape pod remained with us in the courtyard. These two already knew I was the Emperor-appointed Capsule Commander, so they paid no attention to my activities, standing far off and chatting amongst themselves.

Great Strength Pill and Jinglue stood by the escape pod entrance; these two showed no curiosity toward these novelties. I, however, hid inside the escape pod with Ma Xiaoda, each of us busy with our own tasks.

Ma Xiaoda was poking around with a small knife, scraping here and gouging there. I wasn't worried he would pry the door open; his little knife wasn't much better than Chief Wa’s divine blade. I just disliked his mischievous demeanor, completely lacking the seriousness he displayed while discussing politics on horseback yesterday.

“Hey, Little Ma, can you settle down? If you keep messing around like this, I’ll kick you out!”

Ma Xiaoda giggled, putting away his knife, and said to me, “Zhao Qian, I heard that I… that His Majesty appointed you the Capsule Commander. How much do you really know about this escape pod?”

How much do I know? I can’t fire bricks, but I can name the precise technology and craftsmanship of every single part of this escape pod. Brick-firing is prohibited on Earth now because it wastes arable land, and besides, my knowledge has nothing to do with making bricks. But I understand this high-tech product perfectly. However, even if I explained it to Ma Xiaoda for two years, he probably wouldn’t grasp it.

“Since I am the Commander, I naturally know quite a bit. You sit quietly over there. I’m going down to check the wiring. Shout if anyone comes.”

I retrieved an emergency flashlight from the crew compartment and descended into the machinery bay through the cockpit door. Ma Xiaoda, seeing how smoothly I navigated the interior as if it were my own home, and noting that the door he almost broke his knife trying to pry—which hadn't budged an inch—opened with a mere touch, was so aghast that his mouth hung open, drooling for quite a while. Then, forgetting all about keeping watch, he zipped into the cockpit and squeezed into the machinery bay after me. The space below was cramped; the two of us crammed in there couldn't turn around freely.

“Cough, cough, what is that smell? It smells like scorched beast hide.” Ma Xiaoda must not have smelled burnt rubber, which is why he compared it to burning animal skin.

I couldn’t be bothered to respond. I shone the flashlight around the internal wiring. Fortunately, the problem wasn't too serious. I first shut off the master control valve to the power core and then used my combat knife to slice away all the burnt cables.

Ma Xiaoda held the flashlight for me as I cut the wires. He took out his own knife and tried cutting a few times, then shamelessly pleaded to trade knives. “Zhao Qian, let’s swap knives. Your blade is so sharp. I have ten treasured blades at home; would you trade your one knife for all ten of mine?”

I knew that Ma Xiaoda’s so-called treasured blades were likely just scraps of dog-shit iron, so I ignored his request. After checking the circuits, I found a section of usable cable from the severed ones and connected it. Immediately, the lights in the machinery bay flickered on, saving Ma Xiaoda the trouble of holding the flashlight—otherwise, he might have gained another lever to pressure me with.

I had several rolls of wiring on my ship that were more than enough to fix the connections here. Since the circuit was broken, I couldn't check other faults yet, so I climbed out of the machinery bay with Ma Xiaoda. We sat in the pilot and co-pilot seats and began chatting.

Seeing that I completely ignored his request to trade knives, Ma Xiaoda switched topics. “Zhao Qian, you really are knowledgeable. How did you manage to light up those strange candles with just a couple of fiddles just now? Teach me how.”

I said, “Teaching you this is like teaching a dragon-slayer’s art. You don’t have electric lights here for you to repair. I think you should hurry home to study, pass the civil service exams, and serve the country. Oh, right, I forgot, you’re probably from an official family; you might not even need to take the exams. You’ll just rise through the ranks like the officials I’ve seen, accumulating endless wealth, and then maybe take on seven or eight wives—ha, living carefree.”

Ma Xiaoda was quite annoyed: “Hmph, I’m not carefree at all! They control me, telling me not to do this and not to do that. They’re practically training me to become a stupid dolt. Ha, ha, I think being with you is the most interesting; not only do I learn a lot of new knowledge, but I also learn a lot about how to govern.”

“I’m just spouting nonsense; don’t believe me. Alright, I’m done chatting with you. Since you held the flashlight for me earlier, I’ll give you a combat knife. But don't use it to show off and hurt anyone.”

“R-really?” Ma Xiaoda was visibly skeptical.

I pulled him out of the cockpit and shut the door. I went to the storage compartment and indeed found ten combat knives and laser guns, along with a freshwater dispenser, spacesuits, compressed food, medicine, and other supplies—a month’s worth of gear for ten people. I hadn't dared to look inside in my haste last time, only taking the two laser guns belonging to the pilots. This time, I wouldn't be polite to Magistrate An; these things were ours anyway, and I should be taking them. I grabbed a bag and stuffed the laser guns and combat knives inside; the other items could stay for now. If I didn't open the door, even the Emperor couldn't get them.

Ma Xiaoda squatted in the outer corridor, anxiously peeking through the crack in the door. As soon as I emerged, he grabbed my arm, “The knife? Where’s the knife?”

I threw him a prepared combat knife, “Don’t use it for wicked things, or I won't forgive you.”

Ma Xiaoda was ecstatic. He drew the knife and started toward the pod door again, making me quickly stop him, “Behave yourself! This is a divine object personally designated by the Emperor. Can you afford to replace it if you scratch it?”

Ma Xiaoda didn't care in the slightest: “Why would I not be able to afford it? But if you don't let me scratch it, I won't. I’ll find someone outside to test the blade. You keep busy.”

Without spare wiring, what was there for me to be busy with? I should take Zhou Ni to Gourd Village tomorrow, bring the wiring back then, and fix the escape pod. Then, piloting this space shuttle, hah! Would those bandits dare bother me again? If I didn't run them down, my surname wouldn't be Zhao.

When I got outside, Jinglue had already left with Ma Xiaoda. I wasn't sure what Ma Xiaoda’s "testing the blade" meant. If he went out killing innocents, that would be disastrous. The two guards were blocked by the escape pod door and couldn't see what was happening on our side. I pulled out a combat knife and a laser gun and handed them to Great Strength Pill, “Keep these safe. I’ll teach you how to use the laser gun later.”

Great Strength Pill’s face lit up, but he didn't take them. “Forget it, Brother Zhao Qian, these are your treasures; how can I accept them?”

I showed him the bag: “Hehe, there are plenty. Take them. Who knows what dangers lie ahead; use these for self-defense.”

Great Strength Pill happily grabbed the combat knife. “Haha, I’ve dreamed about this blade so much I couldn't sleep at night. Now I finally have a divine blade!”

I handed him the laser gun. “Take this too. It has long range and infrared targeting. You won't have to swing that cudgel constantly anymore; that thing takes too much effort.”

Who knew Great Strength Pill wouldn't accept it? “No, no, I only want the knife. The gun is too light; it’s not suitable for me. Give it to Little Linglong.”

I had a whole bag full; was I short one knife for Great Strength Pill? But this guy was endearingly simple. If he said no, I doubted I could force it on him even with my hands around his neck. To each his own; fine, it saves me one.

Great Strength Pill happily tucked the combat knife into his chest and then carried the bag for me. “Brother Zhao Qian, where are we going?”

I said, “Home! Then tomorrow, a trip back to Gourd Village.”

Great Strength Pill hoisted his large wooden staff. “Alright! Let’s go.”

The two yamen runners stepped forward when they saw us leaving, “Is the Commander leaving? Should I call the County Magistrate to bid you farewell?”

Seeing that they paid no attention to the bag on Great Strength Pill’s back, I said confidently, “No need. Please inform Magistrate An for me that I will return in a couple of days with the repair tools, and I will bother him again then.”

Back home, Cheng Susu was playing cards with Zhou Ni and Yun Yao. The cards were crudely carved from bamboo pieces, likely the handiwork of these young women. Linglong, who knew nothing of this game popular with all ages on Earth, sat to the side, learning with rapt attention.

Seeing me return, the three women scattered the cards they were holding. I said, “You play, you play. Come to my room in a moment to collect your gear.”

“Collect gear?” The women looked puzzled.

Since they had already scattered their cards, I brought over the bag Great Strength Pill was carrying and placed it on the table. “Then collect them now. Yun Yao and Susu already have a laser gun each, so take a combat knife. Linglong, you get one of each; Yun Yao will teach you how to use it later.”

Linglong peered into the bag and exclaimed, “Ah, these are exactly the same as your treasures! Where did you get them?”

I explained to them, “The storage compartment of the escape pod at the county office originally held equipment for ten people. Last time I opened it, there were too many onlookers, and I didn't have time to search thoroughly. This time, Magistrate An wasn't around, and there were only two guards nearby who paid us no mind, so I found them and brought them all back.”

Linglong gasped in amazement, “If you used this equipment to arm an army, my heavens, that army would be absolutely invincible!”

I handed a combat knife and a laser gun to Linglong. “For now, we only seek self-preservation. We should avoid fighting if possible. Hehe, too bad I didn't find any body armor; otherwise, with armor and a multi-function helmet, no one in this world could harm us.”

Laiziji and Wahani entered eagerly, “Zhao Qian, what’s the status on the Brick-Making Compendium? We found a spot outside the city with clay. We just need you to write down the book, and we can build a brick kiln according to the diagrams and start testing! Huh? What are these things?”

I handed a laser gun and a combat knife to Laiziji. “Take these, keep them safe, and use them for self-defense.”

Laiziji examined them closely. “These are your combat knife and that laser gun. You… you mean to give them to me? Linglong said they are immensely powerful and that you used them to subdue three hundred bandits.”

I handed a set to Wahani as well. Unexpectedly, this young woman disliked knives or guns, refusing them outright, much like Great Strength Pill. Finally, she reluctantly took the combat knife Laiziji had set aside and said to me, “I’ll use this knife to replace the divine blade my father lost.”

I realized that Chief Wa’s dog-shit iron divine blade had been ruined by me, causing him considerable loss of face in front of the villagers. Although his daughter hated his lack of affection back then, the old man currently not stopping her from associating with Lai suggests a blessing. If I replace his divine blade now, I believe any lingering grudges should finally be resolved.

I waved the laser gun. “Let’s go find a place for target practice. If these weapons aren't used skillfully, we might not kill the enemy, but we could accidentally harm our own people. After we master them, we can return to Gourd Village tomorrow.”

Linglong led the way out, finally possessing a laser gun equal to Yun Yao and Cheng Susu’s, her excitement plainly visible. Laiziji carefully tucked the gun into his chest and stopped me, “Zhao Qian, we’ve found the site for the brick factory, and there’s one more thing I want to discuss with you.”

“What is it?”

Laiziji said, “It’s about Uncle Hu Shanyang. He was interested in joining our company from the start. Wahani and I discussed it and thought the company was too small then, with too narrow a focus, making it unsuitable for too many participants, so we declined. However, this time we are dealing with both brick-making and house building; our business scope has certainly expanded tenfold. Today we also asked Uncle Hu to help find land for the brick factory. I think it’s time to bring him into our company. Uncle Hu is quite astute and meticulous in his work, and he is trustworthy…”

I said to Laiziji, “I didn’t realize you were a business prodigy! Only a few days out of the mountains and you’re already so worldly and versed in commerce. It seems the nation of Shuangcheng will soon see a giant rise.”

Laiziji said bashfully, “You flatter me. If I hadn't met you, I probably would have spent my whole life at home tending to my behind.”

Thinking of the stone barrier by the pond in Gourd Village, if it had really pierced my rear, the wound probably wouldn't have healed by now. But it was a blessing that my arrow wound healed quickly, which seemed to indicate my superpowers were gradually returning.

“Hehe, you must have the natural talent for this yourself; otherwise, why aren't Great Strength Pill and Linglong interested in making a business? You have full authority over this matter; you are the leader of the company, and I am merely an uninvolved shareholder. Do whatever you want, as long as it’s for the better and not for the worse. Otherwise, even if I agree, the other shareholders won't let you off easily.”

Laiziji laughed, “Of course. But you are the largest shareholder, so I must seek your counsel. If you don't object, I plan to bring Uncle Hu in. After all, our financial strength now far surpasses anything he can manage alone. He certainly won't mind taking on a management role if he joins.”

“Fine, let’s do that. In any case, the brick factory and construction will require two separate operations in the future, and you and Wahani absolutely won't be able to handle it all. If your father-in-law is willing to help, you might as well do him a favor—it will make things smoother with Wahani later, won't it? Just make sure to match his role to his ability.”

Laiziji was deeply moved. “Thank you, Zhao Qian. Meeting you is truly our fortune. I’ll go talk to Uncle Hu about this right away. Don't worry, I won't let anyone ruin our big venture. The capable are promoted, and the less capable step down—that’s a famous saying Yun Yao mentioned.”

Hehe, the accumulated culture of the Great Dragon Kingdom over several millennia was naturally beyond their comprehension. I stopped Laiziji, “Hold on, first learn how to use the laser gun.”

The rest of the morning was spent target practicing. Cheng Susu didn't leave at noon; instead, she sent her maid, Chun Tian, back to inform Madam An. After eating, Yun Yao and Zhou Ni went to their rooms to pack what they needed for Gourd Village, while Cheng Susu and I sat in the living room drinking tea.